Sealing tool for fastening the overlapped ends of bands



Dec. 9; 1947. Y G R RD AL 2,432,306

SEALING TOOL FOR FASTENING THE OVERLAPPED ENDS OF A BAND Filed March 8, 1944 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 fnverzio fr I Lfia/zrz M Gerrard and j eZer 155cm]? Dec. 9, 1947. J. GERRARD ET AL SEALING TOOL FOR FASTENING THE OVERLAPPED ENDS OF A BAND Filed March 8, 1944 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 certain given limits.

Patented Dec. 9, 1947 'UNlTED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,432,306 SEALING Toot FOR ama THE OVERLAPPED ENDS or BANDS John M. Gerrard and Peter S. Banff, Chicago,

Ill., assignors to A. J. Gerrard & Company, Chicago, IlL, a partnership Application March =8, 1944, Serial No. 525,486 4 Claims. (01. 81-:91)

This invention relates to a sealing tool of that character adapted for fastening a seal upon the overlapping ends of a band surrounding a crate, box, package or the like. As is well 'known at the present time, one or more bands are employed for securing such articles during shipment, especially heavy and cumbersome articles.

Ordinarily a band tensioning device is employed for tightening the band upon the article and a sealing tool is employed for fastening the seal upon the overlapping ends of the band. There are several widths of standard bands upon the market used for this purpose, and heretofore it was found necessary to provide a separate sealing'tool capable of operating upon each width of band. Many concerns use several widths-of bands for securing crates, boxes, packages, all different kinds, sizes and weights, consequently these concerns were required to havea sealing tool for each width of band.

One of the objects of the present invention is to ,provide a sealing tool capable of use in connection with bands of various widths, within To this end several pairs of interchangeable gauge plates are. associated with each of the present sealingtools, which pairs of gauge plates have variously spaced seal positioning shoulders for positioning the seal in cooperative relation to the clenching jaws of the tool and have variously spaced pin receiving apertures for the fulcrum pins of the jaws whereby the effective clenching action of the jaws maybe varied to conform to the width of the seal that is to 'be applied to the band.

Another object is to provide removable and replaceable interchangeable gauge plates which may be adapted to scaling tools of various types. Another object is to provide pairs of interchangeable gauge plates cooperating with clenching jaws having shearing teeth for deforming edge portions of the seal whereby to positively fasten it upon the overlapping ends of a band. Another object is to provide pairs of interchangeable gauge plates having differently spaced seal positioning shoulders and fulcrum pin apertures for the fulcrum pins of the jaws, which gauge plates may be-quickly and readily removed from the tool and replaced by another pair having a different width between the seal positioning shoulders, and between the fulcrum pin apertures.

Other objects and advantages will occur in the course of this specification and with all of said objects and advantages in view this invention consists in the several novel features of construction, arrangement and combination of parts hereinafter fully described and claimed.

The invention is clearly illustrated in the drawings accompanying this specification in which:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a sealing tool embodying a simple form of the present invention, showing'the jaw actuating levers partly broken 2 away and showing the parts in the position occupiedwith the jaws in open position, with a seal and overlapping band ends between them.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the tool seen in Fig. l with one of the side plates removed to more clearly illustrate the jaws and jaw actuating levers, certain elements of the tool being illustrated in cross section.

3 is a slightly enlarged end elevation looking in the-direction of the arrow 3, in Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged vertical longitudinal section taken on the line 44 in Fig. 1.

:Fig. 5 is a greatly enlarged fragmental view, partly in side elevation and partly in vertical longitudinal section of the jaws and anvil and showing a seal and overlapping ends of a band as these parts appear when the seal has been fastened upon the band.

Fig. -6 is a plan of fragments of the band with the seal applied thereto.

'Fig. 7 is a side elevation of one of a second :pairofigauge plates associated with the sealing tool.

Fig. 8 is a sideelevation of one of a third pair of gauge plates.

Fig.9 is a perspective View of the anvil and a *gauge plate disconnected from each other, and

:Fig. 10 is a detail horizontal section taken on the broken line lill-0 of Fig. 2.

Referring to said drawings, which are merely illustrative of one embodiment of the invention, thereferencecharacters 'l I, 12 designate two side plates of the sealing tool, which side plates may comprise the supporting members for the operatingparts thereof. Extending between said side plates and fulcrumed to rock therebetween, is a pair of clenching jaws, l3, l3 which are provided with teeth 14, that function to bend or clench the. legs of the seal upon the overlapping ends-of the band.

Suitable :jawactuating means is provided for actuating the jaws and as shown, said means comprise a pair of levers [5 having their adjacent endsdisposed between the side plates, ll, l2 and each having a toggle lever connection with its respective jaw. {The levers l5 are pivotally connected together by a headed pin is which passes through ears H, l8, formed on the levers and through slots l9 which extend through the side plates in a direction longitudinally thereof. A nut [Ba threaded upon the pin [6 fastens the parts together. At their adjacent ends the levers are formed with ears 2|) which are pivotally connected to the tail ends 2| of the jaws by pins 22. Conveniently the tail ends of the jaws may be forked and-the ears 20 of the levers may extend between the furcations of the jaws. Manifestly other equivalent operating connections may be provided for rocking the jaws upon their fulcrums. V

'Thetype of seal employed isillustrated at'S and the overlapping ends of the band at B. The position occupied by these parts when the seal is about to be fastened upon the band is illustrated in Fig. 1 where it will be seen that the legs S of the seal project downwardly from the base S of the seal and converge toward each other.

In order to properly position the seal, together with the overlapping end portions of the band, with respect to the clenching teeth Id of the jaws IS, an anvil 23 is employed which extends between the side plates ll, 12 at a place slightly inward from the lower edges of the side plates as viewed in Fig. 1 with its lower side approximately flush with the upper edges of notches 24 that are formed in the jaws I3 between their teeth I4 and their ears 25 which are provided with apertures 26 to receive the fulcrum pins 21 upon which the jaws are fulcrumed. It will be observed from an inspection of Figs. 1 and 5, that the sealing tool is placed upon the base SI of the seal with th anvil contacting therewith and that as the teeth of the jaws are closed upon the legs of the seal, the legs are clenched upwardly against the lower side of the lowermost overlapping end of the band and clenched thereagainst as is seen in Fig. 5.

In accordance with the present disclosure, pairs of removable and replaceable interchangeable gauge plates '28 are provided which are removably secured to the outer sides of the two side plates H, l2 by screws 29 in position to support the anvil in cooperative position relative to the clenching teeth. Each gauge plate is formed with a laterally projecting rectangular block 40 which fits in a. rectangular notch 4| formed in the side plate. As shown the anvil 23 is formed at both ends with reduced dovetailed neck portions 3!! which seat in dovetailed notches 3| that extend inward in the gauge plates at places beyond the lower edges thereof. The body of the anvil between the neck portions 30 is wider at its lower side as viewed in Figs. 1 and 2, and said under part provides shoulders 32 that bear against the inner faces of the gauge plate blocks 40.

Each gauge plate is further provided with notches 33 extending laterally from the dovetailed notch 3!, the horizontal edges 34 of which are flush with the lower side of the anvil and the vertical edges 35 form shoulders that are spaced part approximately the same distance as the width of the seal.

In Fig. 7 is illustrated one gauge plate 28a of another pair of interchangeable gauge plates which accompanies the tool and in this plate are shoulders 33a set closer than the shoulders 33 of the corresponding plate 28 and the fulcrum pin apertures 260. are set closer. The gauge plates 28a accommodate seals of a predetermined lesser width than do the gauge plates 28. By spacing the apertures closer than those of the plates 28 the fulcrum points of the jaws are brought closer and therewith the teeth M are brought closer. In other respects the gauge plate illustrated in Fig. 7 is exactly the same in construction as the gauge plate 28.

In Fig. 8 is illustrated a one gauge plate 2% of a third pair of gauge plates in which the shoulders 33b are spaced a distance apart intermediate the distance between the shoulders 33 of the gauge plate '28 and the distance between the shoulders 33a of the gauge plate 28a and the fulcrum apertures 281) are likewise spaced apart a distance intermediate the distance between the apertures 26 and 26a. More gauge plates may accompany the sealing tool if desired with variously spaced shoulders and fulcrum pin apertures to accompany band seals of various widths.

The fulcrum pins 27 extend through the apertures in the gauge plates and are threadedly secured in one of said plates. These pins form the fulcrums upon which jaws [3 are rocked. or oscillated by the levers [5 from the position shown in Fig. 1 to the position shown in Fig 2 in closing the jaws upon the seal. As has been eX- plained, the teeth It of the jaws bend the legs of the seal'up against the undersid of the lower one of the overlapping ends of the band. In order to more eifectively prevent the seal from slipping on the overlapping ends of the band the jaws are formed with slots 3'1 extending inward from the lower edge as shown in Fig. 3, and shearing teeth 38 are secured in said slots by the fulcum pins 27. The efiective edges 39 of the shearing teeth are disposed at predetermined angles with respect to the major axes of the jaws and when the jaws are impinged upon the legs of the seal, the edges 39 of the shearing teeth out into the edge portions of the seal and band ends and deform them downwardly as seen at S2 in Figs. 5 and 6.

From the above it will be apparent that we have provided a sealing tool capable of operating upon seals of various widths by merely chang ing the gauge plates to fit the particular width of seal. Furthermore we have provided a sealing tool from which the gauge plates may be readily removed and replaced by other gauge plates. Furthermore the gauge plates may be employed in sealing tools having other means for actuating the jaws.

Having thus described our invention, it is obvious that various modifications may be made in the same without departing from the spirit of our invention; hence, we do not wish to be understood as limiting ourselves to the exact form, arrangement, and combination of parts herein shown and described or uses mentioned.

What we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. Ina sealing tool the combination with spaced side plates, a pair of clenching jaws provided with clenching teeth and movable between said side plates, and jaw actuating levers, of an anvil disposed between and adjacent said teeth and cooperating with said jaws to clench a seal upon the overlapping ends of a band, pairs of removable and replaceable interchangeable gauge plates removably secured to said side plates, the several pairs of gauge plates having variously spaced seal positioning shoulders adapted to position seals of various widths in a cooperative relation to the jaws, the several pairs of gauge plates having also variously spaced apertures therein for varying the spacing of the fulcrum points of the jaws, and fulcrum pins removably secured in said apertures and connecting said gauge plates and therewith the side plates, the jaws being fulcrumed upon said pins.

2. In a sealing tool the combination with notched side plates, a pair of clenching jaws movable therebetween and jaw actuating levers, of an anvil cooperating with said jaws to clench a seal upon the overlapping ends of a band, pairs of removable and replaceable and interchangeable gauge plates, removably secured to said side plates and formed with blocks fitting in the notches of the side plates, each pair cf gauge plates having notches to receive anvil extensions and hold said anvil in operative relation to said jaws, and having also seal positioning shoulders and fulcrum pin apertures, the shoulders and apertures of each pair of gauge plates being difierently spaced from those on the other pairs of gauge plates, and fulcrum pins removably secured in and connecting the gauge plates and therewith the supporting plates, the jaws being fulcrumed upon said fulcrum pins.

3. In a sealing tool the combination with spaced side plates, a pair of clenching jaws movable therebetween, and jaw actuating levers, of an anvil cooperating with said jaws to clench a seal upon the overlapping ends of a band, pairs of removable and replaceable interchangeable gauge plates removably secured to said side plates, the several gauge plates having notches in one of their edges adapted to receive and hold end portions of the anvil, the several pairs of plates having also variously spaced seal positioning shoulders adapted to position seals of various widths in cooperative relation to the jaws, the several pairs of gauge plates having also variously spaced apertures therein for Varying the spacing of the fulcrum points of the jaws, and fulcrum pins removably secured in said apertures and connecting said gauge plates and therewith the side plates, the jaws being fulcrumed upon said fulcrum pins.

4. In a sealing tool the combination with side plates, a pair of clenching jaws movable therebetween, and jaw actuating levers having toggle joint connections with said jaws, of an anvil cooperating with said jaws to clench a seal upon the overlapping ends of a band, pairs of removable and replaceable interchangeable gauge plates remov-ably secured to said side plates, each pair of gauge plateshaving dovetailed notches to receive dovetailed end portions of said anvil and there by hold the latter in cooperative relation to said jaws, said gauge plates having also seal positioning shoulders and pin receiving apertures, the shoulders and apertures of each pair of gauge plates being difierently spaced from those of the other gauge plates, and fulcrum pins removably secured in said apertures and connecting said gauge plates and therewith the side plates, the jaws being fulcrumed upon said pins.

JOHN M. GERRARD. PETER S. BANFF.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Smith Apr. 26, 1898 

